Yakuza devs share more details on Like A Dragon Gaiden and Infinite Wealth
RGG Studio's next showcase is also dated for autumn, because why not?
Yakuza developer RGG Studio held their latest RGG Summit overnight, and the showcase contained more details on upcoming releases Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. We got a small extra look at Gaiden last week during Summer Game Fest, where Kiryu looks like he's meant to be starring in the next John Wick film, but the RGG Summit went into a lot more detail. Here's what you need to know.
The showcase (embedded above) started out with Gaiden, and thanks to new information on Gaiden's website, we have a handy summary of what RGG revealed about the game during their livestream. Here's a story update:
"A former legend in the yakuza world, Kazuma Kiryu fakes his death in order to protect his loved ones. He occasionally receives missions as a secret agent for the Daidoji Faction, a shadowy organisation that once operated as a fixer for the government. Kiryu's very existence is kept a closely guarded secret within Daidoji. There he languishes away each day in his self-imposed solitude. Until one day, somebody arrives to drag Kiryu back into the fold."
So, Kiryu's gone from underground organised crime, to underground government-approved crime. Cool.
Supporting cast characters have been updated on the website too. We've got Kosei Shishido and Yuki Tsuruno of Yakuza 5 and 7's Watase Family. Shishido is a lieutenant and is described as the family's "ace-in-the-hole", while Tsuruno is one of the family's captains. Then there's Akame, a "shadowy figure who knows the ins and outs of Sotenbori". She looks hella cool, I want to be her friend. The fella that asks Kiryu for his name in the latest trailer is Homare Nishitani III, the third patriarch of the Kijin Clan. You might remember Homare Nishitani (Sr. Sr.), who was patriarch of the Kijin Clan during Yakuza 0. It's not clear if Homare Nishitani III is related to Nishitani Sr. Sr. or not. The last new character we're introduced to is Kihei Hanawa, leader of the Daidoji Faction. He's the guy we've seen disturbing Kiryu in his peaceful retirement whenever there's some dirty work to be done.
Some short footage of Gaiden's combat was shown during the showcase. Both Kiryu's signature brawler style and new agent style were shown. He may be old, but he can still pack a punch.
The focus then shifted to Infinite Wealth, where producer Masayoshi Yokoyama confirmed that yes, Ichiban did wake up naked on a beach in a foreign country, but wouldn't specify where. Yokoyama also revealed the beach and Isezaki Ijincho, Yokohama (the setting of Yakuza 7) are both locations in the game. The beach trailer is actually an in-game cutscene, so we'll all get to witness Ichiban's buttcheeks lovingly rendered on our own GPUs.
A different cutscene of a conversation between Ichiban and Kiryu was shown. There's some friendly banter and light ribbing, but it reveals that Ichiban has proposed to Saeko Mukoda at some point after the events of Yakuza 7.
The showcase ended with an announcement for the next RGG Summit, which is set to take place in September. Presumably we'll see more of Gaiden, which is out on November 8th, and Infinite Wealth which is due out early next year.